a. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an installation for carrying out several successive chemical reactions within the same container.
Such an installation can be used in numerous cases, particularly when it is wished to automate a succession of chemical reactions, so as to be able to e.g. dose a reactant. Thus, the installation according to the invention can be used for the automated performance of the dosing of uranium in the presence of plutonium and fission products, in the aqueous or organic phase, using the Davies and Gray method, as specified in the method of International Standard ISO 7097-1983 (E) (hereinafter referred to as "the Davies and Gray method").
b. Description of the Prior Art
When several chemical reactions have to be performed successively in the same container, consideration can be given to the displacement of said container between successive stations at the level of which are introduced different products. However, this can lead to the installation having large overall dimensions when a considerable number of chemical reactions have to be performed. Moreover, the satisfactory performance of the reactions may be incompatible with a displacement of the container between the successive introduction of two reactants into it. Moreover, this solution causes the problem of the stirring of the mixed reactants and in particular the checking of the satisfactory performance of the different reactions.
Another solution consists of making all the reactants arrive at the same point in order to carry out together the chemical reactions without moving the container. This leads to the solution of the problems of the overall dimensions, stirring and checking the satisfactory performance of the reactions.
However, the latter solution leads to the placing of the end of each of the distribution tubes for the different reactants and reagents above the container. This can have the consequence of a drop of reactant and in particular a reagent falling inopportunely into the container during the performance of the different reactions. This is clearly unacceptable, because the results can be completely falsified, particularly when a reactant is being dosed. Moreover, no matter what procedure is used, the problem caused by the rinsing and emptying of the container when all the operations are finished is also difficult to solve.